Scott McLaughlin Secures Pole Position at IndyCar Grand Prix of Monterey

Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske claimed pole position for the IndyCar season finale, the Grand Prix of Monterey, held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. His final qualifying lap of 1m09.1363s allowed him to surpass Alex Palou, the newly crowned five-time series champion, by a narrow margin of 0.0177 seconds.

McLaughlin's performance marked his third pole of the 2026 season. Felix Rosenqvist qualified third, while Alexander Rossi achieved his best road course starting position of the season in fourth place. The qualifying session saw Rossi initially set a benchmark time before Palou and Rosenqvist made strong attempts to take the lead.

In the final moments, McLaughlin's quick lap dethroned Palou, who had previously led with a time of 1m09.154s. Other notable qualifiers included Christian Lundgaard in fifth and David Malukas in sixth. The session concluded with several drivers, including six-time champion Scott Dixon, unable to advance to the next round.